Recreation devices of the tethered ball type are well known and widely used by those who wish to improve their skill at tennis, baseball, golf and the like. Typical of such devices are those wherein a ball is attached to the end of a cord the opposite end of which is attached to a pole, and the player's strength and agility are measured by striking the ball in a manner to wind the cord around the pole. Among the many U.S. patents covering devices of this type is U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,094 Kjoury Oct. 15, 1963 which discloses apparatus for playing a ball game wherein a pole is mounted vertically in the ground and a wire helix is attached to the top of the pole, the ball being fastened to a cord the opposite end of which is secured in a ring mounted on the wire helix. The object of the game is to strike the ball in a manner to cause the ring to reach the end of the helix. Another device for simulating baseball practice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,723 Galezniak Nov. 9, 1965. This device comprises a pole adapted to be supported vertically in the ground with a rotary cable support means clamped to the top of the pole the ball being attached to a cord the opposite end of which is fastened to the rotary cable support. Still other tethered ball devices are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,070 Gonzales et al Oct. 29, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,140 Lofty Oct. 9, 1973 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,171 Anderson Feb. 5, 1974.
In all of these devices however the flight of the ball is restricted to substantially circular movement of relatively short radius about the pole, and as a consequence lacks the free flight pattern of a tennis or baseball being returned by a competative player.